Associate Talent Acquisition Specialist

Smithfield Foods; Smithfield (VA); On-site; USD 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

Smithfield Foods in Smithfield, VA is seeking an Associate Talent Acquisition Specialist to drive recruitment strategy across multiple locations. You’ll partner with HR and Hiring Managers to build a diverse, qualified candidate pipeline and deliver an exceptional candidate experience.

The role covers full-cycle recruitment, talent sourcing, diversity initiatives, labor market analysis, and reporting using Workday and other ATS. Travel up to 25% and strong communication are required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Proficient in Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Excel.
• Demonstrates urgency, attention to detail, initiative and sound judgment.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Leverages emotional intelligence to build relationships.
• Excels in fast-paced environments with a collaborative demeanor.
• Strong multi-tasking and organizational skills.
• Professionalism and discretion with sensitive information.
• Willingness to travel 25% (some overnight stays).
• Experience recruiting across all levels and functions.
• Experience with passive recruiting and creative sourcing (Indeed/LinkedIn).
• Knowledge of Federal, State, and employment regulations and policies.
• Experience with Workday or similar ATS.

Responsibilities

• Full-Cycle Recruitment across multiple locations and functions.
• Ensure a smooth, engaging Candidate Experience with clear feedback.
• Collaborate with Hiring Managers to guide recruitment strategy.
• Leverage diverse sourcing strategies to build a talent pipeline.
• Proactively source diverse candidates to meet inclusion goals.
• Research labor market trends to align sourcing strategies.
• Shadow roles to understand business needs and improve fit.
• Continuously evaluate recruitment processes for efficiency.
• Maintain ATS data and provide regular updates to leadership.

Skills

Full-Cycle Recruitment

Candidate Experience

Hiring Manager Experience

Talent Sourcing

Diversity & Inclusion

Labor Market Analysis

Business Acumen

Process Improvement

Data Tracking & Reporting

Travel Readiness

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Tools

Workday

MS Office

Job description

The Value You’ll Bring

As an Associate Talent Acquisition Specialist, you’ll be vital to our recruitment strategy, finding innovative and bold ways to attract top talent.

In this role, you’ll partner closely with HR Managers and Hiring Managers to understand workforce needs and develop strategic approaches for building a pipeline of diverse and highly qualified candidates.

As part of the Talent Acquisition team, you will play a key role in our mission to deliver an exceptional recruitment experience for both candidates and hiring managers.

This is your opportunity to make a real impact and recruit the future of talent at Smithfield Foods!

What You’ll Do

• Full-Cycle Recruitment: Manage the entire recruitment lifecycle for all functional areas across multiple locations simultaneously, ensuring efficient and effective hiring outcomes.
• Candidate Experience: Ensure a smooth and engaging candidate experience through timely communication, clear feedback, and maintaining professionalism throughout the process.
• Hiring Manager Experience: Collaborate with department leaders and HR teams, offering expert guidance and consultation on recruitment strategies and delivering exceptional support and service throughout the hiring process.
• Talent Sourcing: Leverage various sourcing strategies to find and attract top talent. Proactively build and maintain a pipeline of qualified candidates for current and future roles.
• Diversity & Inclusion: Proactively source and engage diverse candidates and support the company's goals to foster an inclusive workforce.
• Labor Market Analyst: Research labor market trends to strategically align sourcing strategy with current industry conditions.
• Business Acumen: Gain an understanding of various roles, including those in a corporate, farm and manufacturing environment, through job shadowing to improve hiring fit and reduce turnover.
• Process Improvement: Continuously evaluate and refine recruitment processes to enhance efficiency, reduce time-to-hire, and improve the candidate experience, while ensuring alignment with business goals and best practices.
• Data Tracking and Reporting: Use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to manage candidates and provide regular recruitment updates and metrics to leadership. Maintain accurate and up-to-date recruitment records to meet regulatory standards.

What We’re Seeking

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Company will consider a currently enrolled college student with an anticipated graduation by end of current school year as qualified.
• Proficient in computer applications such as Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Excel.
• Demonstrates a strong sense of urgency, attention to detail, initiative and sound judgment.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Leverages emotional intelligence to build and foster relationships both internally and externally.
• Excels in fast‑paced, dynamic environments, maintaining a respectful, approachable, and team‑oriented demeanor while cultivating a positive and collaborative work atmosphere.
• Strong multi‑tasking and organizational skills.
• Must possess a high level of professionalism, discretion and ability to handle sensitive information.
• Energized by collaboration through travel to other locations (25% of the time). Some travel may be at short notice or require overnight stays. While traveling, must self‑manage their time and daily tasks.

Other Skills That Make You Stand Out

• Experience in recruiting across all levels and functional areas.
• Experience with passive candidate recruiting and utilizing creative sourcing strategies to attract high‑quality talent such as Indeed and LinkedIn.
• Strong knowledge of Federal, State, and employment regulations and policies.
• Proficiency in using a server‑based applicant tracking system (Workday preferred).
• Proven experience working under recruiting KPIs, consistently meeting or exceeding performance targets.
• Experience in handling administrative duties related to recruitment and compliance.
• Prior experience recruiting for government contractors, including familiarity with relevant regulations and requirements.
• Project management skills, with the ability to plan and manage multiple recruitment initiatives and deadlines simultaneously.

The expected pay range for this position is $50,000 - $70,000 annually.

Smithfield Foods provides pay ranges that reflect its good faith estimate of the salary or hourly wage the company reasonably expects to pay for a position at the time of hire. Individual compensation will be determined based on several factors, including but not limited to, the scope and responsibilities of the role, location of the position, the candidate’s qualifications and experience, internal equity, external market pay for comparable positions and budget considerations. At Smithfield Foods, base pay represents only one aspect of the comprehensive total rewards package.

Learn more about our benefits package here.

EEO Information

Smithfield is an equal opportunity employer committed to workplace diversity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, gender identity, protected veteran status, status as a disabled individual or any other protected group status or non‑job characteristic as directed by law.

If you are an individual with a disability and would like to request a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment selection process, please call us at 757‑357‑1595.